ABOUT PEOPLE

Southland Times, Issue 17464, 2 October 1913, Page 6

ABOUT PEOPLE

By direction of the Public Service Commissioner the Electoral Department is to be included in the Department- of Internal Affairs, of which Mr James Hislop is the Under-Secretary. The change came into operation yesterday, Mr Hislop becoming Chief Electoral Officer for New Zealand, in succession to Mr F. W. Mansfield, who. on account of Illhealth. has been obliged to relinquish those duties, although he will still retain the position of Registrar-General. Mr J. C. Pope, son of the late Mr J. H. Pope, and formerly of the teaching staff of Wellington BOys’ College, has been appointed, to a responsible position in Scott's College, Sydney. Mr Pope fakes up his duties in Sydney at the beginning of next year. The Rev. G. B. Inglis, who has been minister of the Ashburton Presbyterian Church for the last 20 years, preached his farewell sermon on Sunday.

Mr George Brownlee, of the head office. -Wellington., and formerly of Invercargill, who was for many years chief clerk in the district manager's office at the Auckland railway station, has been re-appointed traffic manager of the new district which lias been created between Auckland and Wellington, with headquarters at Ohakune.

Mr Frank Graham. the well-known operatic tenor, who is teaching singing and voice production in Invercargill, made a big success in the Auckland production of Verdi’s "II Trovatore” recently. The newspaper critics expressed admiration of Mr Graham’s artistic performance. The Auckland Sporting Weekly said:—"The thrilling Miserere scene, in which Madame Wielaert and Mr Frank Graham participated, was naturally one of the gems and was clamorously encored. The popular duet, "Home to our Mountains," by Mr Graham and Miss Sutherland, was also singled out for enthusiasm. Mr Frank Graham shared the honours with Madame Wielaert, the gifted tenor being . greeted with enthusiastic applause for his artistic and sympathetic work.”

Mrs J. C. Brown, lady superintendent of the Napier telephone excange. and late of the Dunedin exchange, retires from the Civil Service, with which she has been connected for the past eighteen years—lß96 to 191^ —on superannuation. Mrs Brown was the first lady superintendent appointed in the dominion. The burial of the late Constable McQuarrie, who was exceedingly popular with the residents of Winton, where he was stationed. took place yesterday morning, the body being interred in the Eastern cemetery. The body was conveyed to Invercargill by the morning train from Winton, and the funeral proceeded from the railway station at 10 a.m. As a mark of respect to their dead comrade, about thirty policemen, under Inspector Norwood, were in attendance at tlie funeral. The burial service was conducted by the Rev. R. M. Ryburn.

The officers of the Post and Telegraph Department last night entertained Mr Walter T. Johnston, who has been promoted to the office of chief clerk at Hokitika. Mr C. Matheson (Parols office) presided, and besides a large number of the: officers in the various departments Messrs J. L. Bush (late officer in clfarge), J. Patterson (accountant), A. Heron (senior mall clerk), and S. Wilson .(chief linesman),, were also present. Several toasts were honoured, arid among these was one in honour of the departing officer. The several speakers to the toast laid special stress upon Mr Johnston’s valuable services in the interests of sport, and Mr Johnston made a suitable response. Items were given by Messrs J. Patterson, W. Johnston. A. Mulligan, and M. Scully, and, 'altogether, a very pleasant evening was spent. •The death occurred in Christchurch yesterday of Mr Thomas Jefcoate, who some years ago-was a well-known farmer in the Southland district. Deceased arrived in New Zealand in the early sixties and settled about Christchurch. sub T sequently acquiring an area in what is now Waimate, but which was at that time covered with totara forest. In the eighties he came to Southland and purchased a property at Oteramlka, which he Improved to a considerable extent, and some years ago disposed’of 1t,."t0 reside in Timaru, where several ’married daughters had their homes. Latterjy Mr Jefcoate had been residing In ChrisJ;. church, where he died at the age of 75 years, being predeceased by his wife some fifteen years ago. < He Is survived by several of a family, including Mr H. J. Jefcoate, coachbuilder and blacksmith (Invercargill), and Mr J. E. Jefcoate, farmer, Mokotua, The deceased took a keen interest In political matters and was prominent in school committee and church work both at Waimate and Oteramika.

There died recently at Roscommon, in Ireland, Mrs-Ellen Mullany, at the patriarchal age of 105 years. Mrs Mullany had 14 grandchildren and 36- greatgrandchildren, and among her children are Mrs A. Stanley and Mr M. Mullany, of Christchurch. She was practically immune from sickness during her life, and up till lire very last possessed all her mental faculties unimpaired. Less than a month before her death she might have been seen reading her prayer book without the aid of glasses. Many were the stories she could tell of Parliamentary elections and of the fierce feuds they caused in the terrible days of the faction fights.